How Nick Gill Is Reinventing BBH’s Barn for the Next Wave of Creative Talent

The ad industry is no stranger to talent crises. For years, leaders have warned of the growing gap between ambition and access, particularly for young creatives from underrepresented backgrounds.

While plenty of initiatives 'talk the talk' on diversity, inclusion, and education, few walk it quite like BBH’s Barn. And now, under the leadership of former BBH ECD Nick Gill, the initiative is not only being revitalised – it’s doubling down on its mission to remove real-world barriers and open creative doors that have been closed for too long for too many.

“The industry landscape is always evolving,” Nick says, “But one thing that will never change is the need for fresh creative talent.” With the Barn expanding from 10 to 12 students this summer – and ambitions to scale even further – it’s building in momentum. And with BBH CEO Karen Martin calling out the need for more support for emerging talent in her inaugural IPA speech, the timing couldn’t be more urgent. “Karen’s message was very welcome,” Nick adds. “It felt like the right moment to bring renewed energy to the Barn.”

The initiative is being rebooted in direct response to the socioeconomic realities that often keep promising creatives on the sidelines. “Getting into our industry and staying in our industry is hard,” Nick says. “Courses can be expensive. The cost of living in London makes it so difficult for people to move here. Barn attempts to tackle this problem by being the only course of its kind to pay students a salary in line with the London Living Wage.”

And this is what separates the Barn from other talent initiatives – it takes away the financial burden of upskilling and makes entry more accessible for talents who don’t come from high-income backgrounds. This distinction corresponds with BBH’s long-standing ethos of bucking trends and zagging where others zig.

While removing financial barriers is crucial, Nick is also mindful of how the course can and should be adapted to suit today’s creative climate – where media is increasingly fragmented, ideas are fluid, and the pressure to know everything is overwhelming.

“An idea can be anything these days,” he says. “But a constantly-evolving industry of seemingly infinite opportunities could feel a bit bewildering and maybe daunting for a student who hasn't even learned the basics. So, I try to keep things as simple as possible to begin with. I focus on how to identify an original creative insight and what to do with it when you've found it… then I encourage them to break the rules.”

This philosophy mirrors his own journey through the industry. His leadership of the Barn comes not from a teaching background, but from decades of hands-on experience, creative directing and giving people their first shot. “I'm not a tutor. And I'm definitely not Tony,” he says, referring to Tony Cullingham, the visionary behind the original Barn and the Watford course it evolved from. “Tony was unique and irreplaceable. I wouldn’t dream of trying to emulate him.”

But Nick is committed to carrying Tony’s legacy. “When I took on the task of running Barn, a wonderful former student, Sim, put a deck together for me that outlined Tony’s original syllabus. So I had the shape of the course to start with. Then, I just had to fill that shape with my own knowledge, principles, references, and creative briefs.”
Nick has been pivotal in strengthening the Barn’s network across the wider industry. In the past year alone, students have secured placements at adam&eveDDB, Leo Burnett, VCCP, Uncommon, BBC Creative and Pablo, providing alumni with exposure to a range of agency cultures and perspectives. “We've had so many great individuals inside and outside BBH lecture or mentor the students,” Nick says. “We’ve even managed to get the students their first recording session at the fantastic String & Tins. We've been so lucky. This is a very generous industry.”

Yet luck only goes so far. Real transformation comes from intention – by covering people’s costs and providing an easy entry point into advertising, the industry can become a more realistic and viable career option. “When I began interviewing for the current crop of Barn applicants, I went into the process with complete open-mindedness and a talented and diverse group of people very naturally revealed itself,” he says. “The important thing is that a broad range of people felt able to apply. And this is because the course is backed by hard cash.”

Barn is more than just a training programme, it’s a programme that combines practical support, creative mentorship, and industry connectivity – acting as a prototype for how advertising can evolve into a more equitable, exciting industry for the talent that will define its future.

As Nick puts it: “Barn is very true to BBH's roots. It represents a real ‘zag’ in education.”